Trinity Forum Conversations

From the nation’s founding to today, Americans have wrestled with the question: What role should faith play in a democratic society? Many have argued that we should keep faith and politics separate–that less religion in public life would lead to a more peaceful and unified democratic nation. 

Yet in reality, as religious practice has declined, our nation has grown increasingly polarized, anxious, and unstable. Can faith help us recover the trust and shared purpose that holds our diverse society together?

Our guests in this episode, Matthew Kaemingk and Shadi Hamid, argue that it can. Across their differences in faith, they agree that secularism has deepened our divides. They make the case that there is a hopeful common ground to be found, and that the resources of faith can help us rebuild our commitment to democracy.
This episode is drawn from an Online Conversation in 2026. You can view the video and other resources here!

Go deeper into the issues discussed in this podcast with these Trinity Forum Readings:
Sphere Sovereignty Abraham Kuyper
City of God St Augustine of Hippo
Letter from Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King, Jr.
Children of Light & the Children of Darkness Reinhold Niebuhr

What happens when the things we thought we knew no longer seem to hold? When the maps we’ve relied upon fail us, and even our best efforts to understand the world leave us feeling disoriented?

For philosopher, author, and Trinity Forum friend James K. A. Smith, these questions became deeply personal during a season of suffering that challenged his confidence in the power of reason. In his recent book, Make Your Home in This Luminous Dark, Smith draws on the wisdom of Christian mystics. He explores how uncertainty, suffering, and even darkness might become unexpected pathways to wonder, wisdom, and a deeper awareness of God's love.

In this conversation, Smith reflects on the limits of knowledge, the spiritual gifts of contemplation and modern art, and what ancient wisdom might teach us about navigating an anxious and divided age. You can find the video & other resources here.

Go deeper into the issues discussed in this podcast with these Trinity Forum Readings:
The Confessions of Saint Augustine (introduced by Smith)
Revelations of Divine Love Julian of Norwich
Wrestling with God Simone Weil
On Happiness Thomas Aquinas
The City of God Saint Augustine

The American Revolution took place against a backdrop of long religious conflict in both Europe and the colonies. Yet despite their personal flaws and their varied faith views, the Founders embraced the radical principle of freedom of conscience and religious expression, instilling it not only in our Constitution, but in the fabric of our society. What is the story behind this extraordinary development? And what does this legacy of religious pluralism mean for Christians in the much more complex America of 2026?
As we celebrate America’s founding in this 250th anniversary year, we’ll discuss this story and what it means for us today with Trinity Forum Senior Fellow David French. As a longtime religious freedom litigator before becoming a New York Times columnist, he’ll guide us in considering the discussions during the founding, and their implications for today.
As background for the conversation, check out our recent Trinity Forum Reading: George Washington and the First Freedom, featuring the first President’s powerful statements on freedom of conscience.
This episode was recorded as a Trinity Forum Online Conversation in 2026. You can view the transcript and other resources here.
Special thanks to Interfaith America for supporting this episode.

What does it mean to truly see? In a world that rewards speed, certainty, and quick judgment, the patient work of attention can feel almost countercultural. Yet learning to see clearly—to notice beauty, to attend to the people before us, and to look beyond our assumptions—may be essential to learning how to love well.
The Victorian artist and missionary Lilias Trotter devoted her life to just this kind of attention. Though a gifted painter said she could become one of the greatest artists of her generation, Trotter instead chose a quieter and more hidden path.
Author and artist Jennifer Trafton’s latest book, “If We Could Only See,” traces the remarkable life and legacy of Lillias Trotter. She joined Cherie for a conversation about what Lillias can teach us about seeing the world—and one another—with greater patience, humility, imagination, and love.
This episode was also recorded in-person and the video will be available on our Youtube here!

How do we live a life of meaning, in a time when so many competing voices tell us who to be, what to want, and how to live? Told to construct meaning for ourselves, we find anxiety instead of wisdom, and exhaustion instead of clarity. For the decisions we face each day, we need insight.

In this episode we’re joined by Alan Noble. “Practical Wisdom for Moving Through Chaotic Times” is the subtitle of his new book, To Live Well. Alan will help us locate answers for our lives today – and for those we love – by exploring seven virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance, faith, hope, and love.

This episode was recorded as a Trinity Forum Online Conversation in 2026. You can view the transcript and other resources here
Go deeper into the issues discussed in this Podcast with these Trinity Forum Readings:
Why Work Dorothy L. Sayers
How Much Land Does a Man Need? Leo Tolstoy
Brave New World Aldous Huxley
Two Old Men Leo Tolstoy